Things You'll Need:
- A complete darkroom set-up
- A great negative
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Step 1
Spend money on a good fiber-based paper. Some good brands are Bergger, Ilford, and Slavich. Look for a graded fiber-base, or a variable contrast fiber-base. Variable contrast is easier to print on than graded, especially if your negative is not perfect.
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Step 2
Make a test print. Make sure you try several exposure times, process your paper and fully dry it. Fiber matte paper is prone to what’s known as the “dry down” effect, meaning, it might look right while it is still wet, but it dries darker. Also note that “dry down” affects the highlights more so than shadows. All papers are different, so make sure you always run test exposures.
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Step 3
Have good photograph hygiene. Carefully measure your chemical proportions and rinse your prints well. Improper removal of developer or fix will cause your print to discolor faster. Also, matte photographic paper absorbs more chemicals than glossy, which has a resin coating. In general, you must rinse matte paper longer than any paper with a gloss or other finish. Follow the manufacturer’s time recommendations.
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Step 4
Squeegee your print. Removing as much water as possible with a squeegee will reduce your drying time overall.
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Step 5
Dry your print. Fiber prints tend to curl slightly when drying, so note you may need to press them in a dry mount.
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Step 6
Properly store your photographs. To keep your photographs safe and extend their life, they must be stored in a cool, dust free space. Ideally, photographs should be stored in an acid free box or folder, and in a temperature controlled room. With proper technique and storage, your matte photographs should be stable for 70 years (opposed to the 45 years or so of resin-coated papers)
